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 Very Disappointed with Ford's "Commitment to Quality"
Posted Tue October 16, 2007 12:00 pm, by Clark B. written to Ford Motor Company
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This is in reference to Ford Technical Service Bulletin 03-18-02. Apparently there is a known defect with the Ford Focus (at least the 2001 SE model) that moisture can get into the fan blower assembly (for A/C and heater) and short it out.
I didn't have an issue with the motor, but the resistor (which allows the fan to be set on variable speeds) has shorted out three times (every 7 months). Finally I was told by the dealer that the solution to the problem, as stated in the bulletin, was to install a moisture deflection kit costing $148.50 (plus tax and labor). My question to the dealer and Ford was, "If there's been a known defect with moisture getting into the assembly since 2002 (5 months after I purchased my Ford Focus) then why wasn't there a recall?" Ford's response was that they're only required to do recalls if it's a safety concern, not a quality concern.
So essentially Ford was selling cars lacking a crucial part to provide adequate protection from moisture. It's not like this moisture deflection kit was in my Ford Focus and went bad - that I would understand and have no problem with, knowing that my car is out of warranty. My concern is that Ford decided to just not put this part in the car in the first place to save money, figuring that most cars would go at least 5 years before needing the kit, at which point they could make more money off their customers by selling them a "moisture deflection kit." This is absolutely ridiculous and a clear example that Ford does not care about the quality of it's products or it's customers, only the bottom line.
It is understandable that people need to REPLACE parts over time to keep their cars running, but they should not need to ADD parts in order to keep them running as they were when purchased new.
So my suggestion to anyone with a Ford Focus under warranty is to go through the glovebox and remove the resistor, disable it somehow and put it back. Then take it to the dealer and request that the moisture deflection kit be installed according to TSB 03-18-02. Then you won't need to worry about this happening on it's own at mile 36,001 as Ford had hoped.
I'll I'm hoping for is for Ford to cover the cost of the moisture deflection kit and labor.
If Ford had told me that they value their customers and the quality of their products and would simply cover the cost of the kit, I would be singing their praises instead of mounting a campaign to stop anyone from buying their vehicles. Too bad.
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